There might be as many different podcast hosting/publishing platforms these days as there are podcasts. This kind of competition is good for podcasters, and for the podcasting space overall, as it provides lots of different options for creators. Blubrry, one of the industry’s longest-running providers of podcasting services, recently launched its PowerPress Sites Deluxe service, which the company is describing as a “turnkey” solution for podcast publishing:

PowerPress Sites Deluxe is a full turn-key solution for podcasters and includes hosting, statistics, and a managed WordPress website. The Deluxe option includes additional WordPress templates, themes, plugins and most importantly, the ability for podcasters to use their own domain for their website. Domains are purchased separately and are added to the site during setup.

PowerPress Sites Deluxe is the second stage in the rollout of Blubrry’s PowerPress Sites service that was first announced in the summer of 2015. The “PowerPress” part of the PowerPress Sites name might sound familiar to many podcasters, as the service relies on Blubrry’s PowerPress plugin to create podcast RSS feeds. Prior to the launch of PowerPress Sites, podcasters had to run self-hosted WordPress installations along with the PowerPress plugin in order to create a fully functional podcast site. A PowerPress Site is also a WordPress site that comes with PowerPress built-in. The big difference is that all PowerPress Sites are fully hosted and managed by Blubrry. That means things like security, updates, and backups are all handled directly by Blubrry.

The Deluxe Site is for podcasters who may want to use their own domain and those wanting enhanced Search Engine Optimization / Discovery with an SSL certificate. It includes the most popular plugins and multiple site templates, as well as a variety of themes to choose from.

A Blubrry media hosting subscription is required in order to use the PowerPress Sites service.

Disclosure: Blubrry CEO Todd Cochrane is Executive Editor of Podcaster News and I work part-time with the Blubrry support team.